*This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 1994.05.01 : Head Start Act Amendments of 1994 Date: May 1994 Contact: ACF Press Office (202) 401-9215 Head Start Act Amendments of 1994 Summary of Major Provisions The Head Start Act amendments of 1994 extend authority for Head Start through FY 1998, four years beyond the program's current authorization period. Signed into law on May 18, 1994, the legislation has, since its introduction, enjoyed broad bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House. The new legislation carries out the vision and many of the specific recommendations contained in Creating A 21st Century Head Start, the December 1993 report of the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion. In particular, the reauthorization seeks to ensure that all children and families enrolled in Head Start are provided with high quality services that are responsive to their needs. Quality Standards and Monitoring The new legislation reflects a strong commitment to strengthening the quality of all Head Start programs. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review and, as needed, revise the performance standards that define the scope and quality of the services which local Head Start programs are expected to provide and to specify the minimum levels of accomplishment that must be achieved. In addition, it calls for the development of performance measures, i.e., indices of performance that can be used to assess strengths and weaknesses in the operation of Head Start programs nationally and by region. There are also new provisions addressing situations in which monitoring reviews of local programs reveal non-compliance with performance standards or other requirements. Such programs would be required either to correct their deficiencies immediately or to develop and implement HHS-approved quality improvement plans which will eliminate the deficiencies. HHS will offer technical assistance to help programs carry out their quality improvement plans. However, if a program fails to make needed corrections, HHS will move to terminate funding and to appoint an interim agency to assume operations pending recompetition of the program. Staff Development The new Head Start legislation calls for important new investments in staffing and staff development. Under the new law, HHS would develop model staffing patterns to provide guidance to local programs on the numbers, types, responsibilities and qualifications of the staff needed to operate a Head Start program. In addition, the legislation includes provisions addressing the development of qualification standards, training and credentialling of family service workers, and authorizes the establishment of a Head Start fellowship program to provide leadership development opportunities for Head Start staff and others in the early childhood field. Also reflected in the new law is the Advisory Committee's recommendations that HHS encourage the establishment of mentor teacher positions in Head Start programs to observe and assess classroom activities and to provide guidance and training to classroom staff and volunteers. Beyond these provisions, the reauthorization extends until September 30, 1996 the date by which Head Start classrooms are expected to be staffed with a teacher who, at a minimum, possesses a Child Development Associate credential or other appropriate qualification. This extension was included in recognition of Head Start's growth over the past several years and in anticipation of the program's continued expansion in the future. Responsive and Effective Program Expansion The Head Start reauthorization seeks to ensure that future expansions of Head Start are responsive to the needs of families and communities and that they are carried out in a well planned and timely manner. The law directs HHS, in allocating funds to serve increased numbers of children, to consider several specific factors, including the size of the unserved eligible child population and the concentration of poverty in each community, and the extent to which applicants have undertaken community-wide strategic planning and needs assessments. It further reinforces the emphasis on quality by specifying that an applicant's past performance in delivering good quality services and in effectively implementing previous expansions also must be taken into account. Under the new legislation, Head Start programs are given the flexibility to expand the duration of services as well as the number of children served. Based on community needs assessments, local programs would have the option to provide full day/fall year or part day/part year services to meet the needs of parents who work or are in training. The new legislation also recognizes the need of an expanding Head Start program for adequate facilities and transportation. New authority is provided for capital expenditures for the construction of facilities, for the renovation of existing structures and for the purchase of vehicles. Initiative on Families With Infants and Toddlers The Head Start reauthorization includes authority for a new initiative to help meet the needs of families with infants and toddlers. Beginning in fiscal year 1995, grants will be made for projects which provide, either directly or through referrals, early, continuous, intensive and comprehensive child development and family support services. Opportunities for funding are open to a broad range of public and private non-profit organizations that can provide high quality services, including Parent and Child Centers and Comprehensive Child Development Projects. The new law consolidates these two current programs and increases overall investments in supportive services for families with infants and toddlers. Funding for fiscal year 1995 is set at three percent of Head Start's total appropriation, and would rise to five percent by fiscal year 1998. In developing guidelines for the new program, HHS is required to consult with experts in child development and family services and to draw on research and evaluation in this area. Enhanced Parental Involvement and Linkages with Schools and State Programs The reauthorization includes provisions to strengthen communication and coordination between Head Start programs and elementary schools, and to encourage ongoing parent involvement once Head Start children enter school. Further, it seeks to ensure that Head Start parent involvement activities are designed to more effectively encourage parents to become full partners in the education of their children and requires that Head Start programs offer, directly or through referrals, family literacy services and parenting skills training. Finally, the new statute calls for a program of State Collaboration Grants to encourage greater coordination of Head Start services with State efforts in the areas of health, welfare, child care, education, family literacy, services to children with disabilities and national service activities.